Monmiral bids to join elite club with Fighting Fifth Hurdle success
Unbeaten four-year-old takes on experienced rivals at Newcastle.
Paul Nicholls could not be happier with Monmiral as the unbeaten four-year-old bids to become only the fifth horse of his age to win the Betfair Fighting Fifth Hurdle at Newcastle on Saturday. Night Nurse is the most famous of the quartet to take this treasured prize at four since its inception in 1969 – the latest being Countrywide Flame in 2012. Now it is Monmiral’s chance to add his name to an elite list. He heads to the North East with a perfect record of four out of four since moving to the UK from Francois Nicolle’s stables in France. However, Nicholls knows it is difficult as horses of his age have to meet their elders on equal terms, while he has to give 7lb to last year’s winner Epatante as mares receive a sex allowance.“It is a tough task for four-year-olds in their second season. They don’t get a weight allowance against older horses but he’s a talented horse and he’s unbeaten,” he said. “Mares get a 7lb allowance and for four-year-olds, it’s a hard year for them traditionally. Only four four-year-olds have won the race. He doesn’t know that. We’ve done everything to prepare him right. “We’ll learn an awful lot more on Saturday especially and the more rain that falls, the better for him.” Nicholls went on: “We didn’t want to go chasing this year so we’re having to run in these races and the run on Saturday will tell us where we end up – whether we go Christmas Hurdle afterwards or whether we step up in trip. “Saturday is a fact-finding mission but prep wise it’s gone great. He looks great and I’m hopeful of a very good run. I can’t predict he’s going to go and win. We just think we’ve had a great preparation and we’ll let the horse do the talking.”
The @Betfair Fighting Fifth declarations:
?Epatante?Monmiral?Sceau Royal?Silver Streak?Not So Sleepy?Voix Du Reve See you at @NewcastleRaces! pic.twitter.com/u3nhoDu37R — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) November 25, 2021
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